FAQ

Habitech is an Australian modular design and building system that creates modern, super strong and highly insulated houses. Habitech houses are extremely comfortable, cheap to operate, healthier, cost competitive, quick and easy to build, strong and Australian made.

TIME

+ Are Habitech homes quicker to build?

Yes. Because our homes are pre-fabricated and built from components that are flat-packed and delivered to site ready for assembly, construction time on site is typically heavily reduced.

+ How long is construction time?

We have an approach of building with smarter manufactured building components that are flat pack delivered and get a house from sub-floor to lock-up in a matter of weeks rather than months. Taking off at least 2 months construction time on site, in some cases, a lot more.

COST

+ Can I get an estimate cost for my project?

Yes, but we need to understand your project, design brief, size, quality and budget expecation to make sure it qualifies. Click here to send us your project brief – the more info we have the better we can help you with.

+ How much does it cost to build a Habitech House?

Like any construction project, Habitech homes will vary in cost, depending on site conditions, the extent of external works and the quality of the fixtures and fitting you choose. Our buildings are the same cost as traditional construction, yet because they are quicker to build and super thermally efficient, they are both more cost effective during the building stage and keep heating and cooling costs to a minimum (in some cases totally eliminating your heating and cooling bills).

To build a new Habitech house usually costs around $2,700- 3,000 per square meter (based on a completed new house in Melbourne’s inner suburbs). Habitech homes are bespoke designs, so each is different and as the details of each design progresses and decisions are made, costs become more accurate.

Many regulatory steps and building site costs don’t vary, regardless of the scale of the job. This makes small projects relatively more expensive on a 'per square metre' basis. As a guide, we typically suggest $3,500-4,000 per square meter rate for extensions.

+ Can I buy your panels for my project?

Habitech isn’t a traditional building product company or a kit home provider, so we don’t sell our panels directly. Further, our panels are manufactured to each project’s specifications, so we don’t have off-the-shelf product. Instead we provide clients with full bespoke design services which includes the supply of our [own/ proprietary] wall panel system.
There are some instances however, where we work with other designers in the early design stages to build homes with our panels. Please contact us if you’d like to understand more.

+ I'm a builder, can I use your panels for an upcoming project?

If your project is in the early design stage (i.e. before approved plan) please contact us to discuss possible collaboration. Unfortunately because our panels aren’t a retrofitting system, it’s not cost effective to collaborate after this stage.

Habitech is expanding into new areas and are seeking new builders to partner with on upcoming projects. For future projects, please email info@habitechsystems.com.au.

+ How does your pricing compare to conventional construction?

Our buildings are the same cost as high performance traditional construction, yet deliver much higher quality and faster outcomes. Our modular components typically make up 8-10% of complete construction costs, with site issues, the quality of fit-out elements and the extent of external works commonly having much larger cost impacts.

+ How much do your homes cost to run?

Our homes reduce heating and cooling needs by up to 80%. They’re some of the most highly insulated and best sealed buildings in Australia. Because our insulation is solid and integral to our panels, it will be installed properly and won’t sag over time. We produce super-insulated and super-sealed walls with every house shell constructed to almost Passive-Haus standards.

PROCESS

+ Can I book a meeting to discuss my project?

Sure! However, it is often best to give us a call or send an email with some details about your project. You could even fill in our 'new project' form here. This is so we are able to analyse your project and determine whether or not building a Habitech home is going to get you the best outcome.

+ Can I visit a Habitech House?

We periodically have Open Houses for projects near completion. These are a great opportunity to see how Habitech homes are built and speak with the builder, the owner and the Habitech architects. Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Instagram be notified of our next Open House.

+ Can I build anywhere in Australia?

Yes you can. As our building components are flat-packed and can be transported by truck, distance is not an issue for us. As long as there is good communication between client and design teams, an efficient and cost-effective build process is definitely achievable. We are currently doing projects across Victoria and interstate.

WHAT IS IT?

+ What materials are used in your SIP wall panels?

While structurally insulated panels (SIPs) are often made using oriented strand boards (OSBs) that sandwich a layer of rigid foam plastic insulation inside, at Habitech, we use the superior performance of plantation grown Australian plywood for the interior faces of our wall panels. The foam core is made of expanded polystyrene (EPS). SIPs are custom-made in factories and require little time and manual labour to manufacture. The exterior face is made of Magnesium Oxide Board, providing great durability and strength.

+ Where are your panels manufactured?

Our panels are made in Melbourne. We keep a close eye on the manufacture and quality of our panels.

+ What are the differences between Habitech and other modular houses?

Our panels are more sustainable, with all necessary insulation, structure and cladding all built into the one panel. This also ensures minimal site wastage. Our panels are hand-liftable so there is greater flexibility in design, there is no need for large cranes or dimension restrictions due to their modular nature. Site access issues are also minimised. Apart from being extremely comfortable, cheap to operate and healthier, our homes are thermally amazing, often outperforming their original energy star ratings.

RISK

+ What on-site risk is there compare to a conventional timber stud construction?

Significantly less risk. Instead of a linear process of wall erection (build timber stud, clad outside, insulate, clad inside), you have only one straight forward installation step. Our Habitech Project Architect will also spend time on site to guide and make sure the process goes smoothly.
Minimal noise pollution, cleaner site

+ My site has limited access, is this a risk?

Habitech designs are great for sites with limited access. Because our wall panels are cut to size and then flat-packed to site, they can be easily transported. And where necessary, they’re hand lifted through existing buildings. This means that cranage is often not necessary making the process simple and affordable. Unlike many prefabricated homes, Habitech designs are not compromised by delivery issues.

Quality

+ What assurances are there that a Habitech home is high quality?

Due to our local production processes, all components have been quality assured in factory components. We use door blower testing, thermal imaging with Melbourne University running thermal monitoring studies to ensure our fabric performs to an optimum, and well above conventional requirements once built. We also ensure that our panels are also high strength with independant certification showing that when compared to traditional stud framing, our panels have over:

800% of the bearing capacity - ability to carry loads

580% of the bending strength - bracing against wind loads

200% of the bending stiffness - minimising movement

We also administer the building contract to ensure the builder builds to the required standard and doesn’t take shortcuts with lower quality materials through good communication and training in building with our system.

+ How good is the air quality and temperature in a habitech home?

Energy efficient heat recovery systems are used in our homes to provide a healthy ventilation of fresh air without wasting heat energy. In addition to this, we design natural cross-ventilation into all our projects for control by inhabitants meaning happier and healthier clients.

Our high-performing fabric ensures extreme temperatures have minimal effect. The building envelope will respond to buffer any variations, with a balanced solution of thermal mass and insulation.